Heartbreak or Jackpot Coming for the Hornets
Players like Victor Wembanyama don't come around all that often. And if we're being completely honest, the only person you can truly compare him to is Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Last offseason, several teams made the decision to play it conservatively in free agency and not make any other big-time moves, thinking that they would be in the Wembanyama sweepstakes.
The Hornets were one of those teams but they weren't intentionally setting themselves up to be in the lottery. They felt confident about the pieces they had in place and GM Mitch Kupchak stated that he didn't want to make a move that this team wasn't ready for.
It turned out to be a good decision as the Hornets dealt with the injury bug seemingly all season long. Any "big move" the Hornets would have made would have been insignificant in terms of their hopes of making the playoffs. Instead, it could have been something that played the Hornets out of having the fourth-best odds to win the 2023 lottery.
It might just be a 12.5% chance but should the Hornets get some luck from the ping-pong balls, the direction of the franchise would change immediately. Since returning to Charlotte, the Bobcats/Hornets have only made the playoffs three times (2009-10, 2013-14, and 2015-16). They lost in the first round in each of those three appearances.
With a core consisting of LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, and Victor Wembanyama, advancing beyond the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs shouldn't be much of a hurdle. The expectations around the organization will change as they grow older together and with success, it will make Charlotte a more attractive destination for quality free agents.
On the flip side, Hornets fans are more likely to turn off the TV and head to bed with severe disappointment. Being awarded a top-five selection is nothing to scoff at but it certainly doesn't move the needle as Wemby would. The real frustration for fans will set in if the Hornets fall from fourth to seventh or eighth in the draft order. It doesn't sound like that big of a drop but in the NBA Draft, that's a monumental drop-off in most classes.
The anticipation is building and in just a little over 24 hours, we'll know whether or not the Hornets scored their biggest win in franchise history or if it's just another item added to the long list of disappointing moments.
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